Jin Ye would not concede to a reconciliation after the confrontation. He would not give her another chance.
"I'm sleeping with my fiancée. What business is it of yours, Miss Xin?"
With that, he turned and left without looking at Su Ding.
As Jin Ye was about to enter the elevator, Su Ding seemed to wake from a dream and called out to him coldly, "See you at the Civil Affairs Bureau tomorrow morning at eight."
The elevator doors slowly closed.
Su Ding, unsure if he had heard her, slumped onto Xin Jiaer.
Xin Jiaer, worried, helped her inside and said anxiously, "Ding Ding, are you okay? Don't get angry over that scumbag, he's not worth it."
Jiang Chu tried to follow, but Xin Jiaer said reluctantly, "Mr. Jiang, right? Ding Ding is with me. You should go back and tend to your wounds first."
It seemed Jiang Chu was more seriously injured now.
Xin Jiaer grew even more indignant. Why did that scumbag hit people, and even choke Ding Ding!
Jiang Chu thought for a moment and then said, "Then I'll be going."
Xin Jiaer nodded.
After closing the door, Xin Jiaer saw Su Ding leaning on the sofa, silent.
She looked utterly dejected.
Su Ding's mind was filled with the image of Jin Ye strangling her.
"Jiaer."
"I'm here," Xin Jiaer poured her a glass of water.
Su Ding grasped her hand and asked in a low voice, "Is it true about Jin Ye and Shao Lin?"
"It's absolutely true. Zhi Qiao and I both saw it. We even have video footage, I took it myself."
Fearing Su Ding still harbored illusions about the scumbag, Xin Jiaer pulled out her phone to find the video.
Su Ding did not take it. "No, you don't need to."
She said faintly, "If it weren't for Shao Lin, he might not have laid a hand on me."
Seeing her like this, Xin Jiaer wished she would cry.
This expressionless state clearly indicated that her wounds were hidden deep within her heart, accumulating and causing more pain.
Su Ding spoke slowly, "The way he treats me now is just like how he treated Shao Lin back then. When he loved me, he loved what I loved and hated what I hated. It's the same now."
If he were his original self, he wouldn't be like this.
Unless his heart had been given to another woman, he wouldn't hurt her so ruthlessly, time and time again.
His anger today wasn't born of love, but of masculine pride.
Not of love.
The more Su Ding became certain of this realization, the more her heart ached.
"Ding Ding, it will all pass," Xin Jiaer patted her.
"Mhm."
Su Ding drank some water, suppressing her unspeakable emotions.
She smiled, "I'm fine. Today is your birthday, why don't you go down and mingle with the guests?"
Seeing Xin Jiaer's continued worry, Su Ding added, "Don't worry, I won't overthink it. I'll go to bed soon."
"Alright then, take care of yourself."
Xin Jiaer reminded her a few more times and then left.
Su Ding no longer indulged in self-pity. She turned off the light and closed her eyes, forcing herself to fall asleep quickly.
She had many things to do.
The next morning, Su Ding was woken by a phone call.
"Ms. Su, a company has contacted us about an acquisition. Their offer is higher than the previous three. I've already confirmed a lot of information with them; it's a highly reputable company with integrity in the industry."
Director Dong, an executive from Shao's Enterprise, called her and detailed the terms of the other company.
Su Ding trusted Director Dong implicitly, knowing he would do his best to maximize the company's interests.
Selecting a suitable acquiring company would only benefit him.
"Alright, send me the documents. If there are no issues, we can proceed with negotiations."
"Understood."
After reviewing the documents, Su Ding also researched the company online.
It was a new company that had gradually risen in recent years and was actively seeking opportunities to expand its scale.
Their offer was indeed reasonable.
She immediately called Director Dong back, "You can proceed with discussions with them."
After hanging up, Su Ding checked the time. It was 7:30 AM.
She recalled yesterday's events, her finger hesitating as she slid it across her phone screen, unsure whether to call Jin Ye.
If she called to remind him and he refused, there was nothing she could do.
It would make her seem like she was deliberately finding an excuse to get his attention, which she was reluctant to do.
But what if she went to the Civil Affairs Bureau alone, and he wasn't there?
As Su Ding washed up, she pondered. If he had heard her last night, would he perhaps show up at the Civil Affairs Bureau as promised?
Given Shao Lin's personality, she would certainly want to divorce as soon as possible.
After finishing her preparations, Su Ding picked up her bag and headed out.
She decided to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to see. If no one was there, she would leave.
...
When Shao Lin woke up, she was alone in the room.
She remembered what had happened last night, and her face couldn't help but blush. She hadn't expected Jin Ye to be so passionate.
After waiting bitterly for five years, her wish was finally granted.
Naked, she rolled on the bed happily.
"This is great!"
Shao Lin found her phone and, judging by the time, deduced that Jin Ye must have gone to the company.
Shyly, she composed a WeChat message and sent it: "Brother Jin, I'm awake."
Jin Ye: "Good, get some rest."
Shao Lin: "Mhm, mhm, I'll listen to you. Hehe, I'm so happy."
Jin Ye: "Mhm."
Shao Lin knew Jin Ye's reserved nature and didn't dare to bother him further, continuing to savor the pleasure of last night in bed.
Meanwhile, Jin Ye was sitting in his car.
His expression was cold, his eyes devoid of any emotion as he deleted Shao Lin's chat history.
He detested being manipulated the most.
He would cruelly shatter her hopes at the very moment she thought she had finally found happiness.
At that moment, a figure slowly approached in front of him.
Jin Ye's indifferent gaze finally changed, but his heart felt a sharp pang.
She had indeed come.